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“Education is important because it transforms a child who has lost hope,” Achiro Molly heartfully acknowledges. She should know. Education has given her the power to write her own future.
“I want to be hardworking like my mom,” Achiro Molly says with the quiet perseverance of a woman beyond the years of 22. The third born in a family of six, Molly’s mother had no choice but to work hard. Forced to flee from her homeland in the North because of war, Molly’s parents found shelter in the Acholi Quarter. Molly’s mom first worked in the stone quarry and then found easier work crafting paper bead jewelry when Project Have Hope (PHH) began its work in 2006. To supplement her income, she also sold vegetables and boiled maize to hungry neighbors.
When she was still in primary school, Molly’s father died, increasing the hardship her mother faced. PHH stepped in and took over payment of Molly’s school fees. The financial strain of school fees forces many young children to abandon their studies, leaving an educational gap that can never be filled.
An eager student, Molly always loved going to school. Even at a young age, she saw the power of education. “I wanted to change my family’s story from worse to better,” Molly recalls of her younger days, a feat she has conquered.
After completing Senior 4, with financial assistance from PHH, Molly pursued a course in early childhood development. During her studies, she did a one month internship at Hilpog Junior School. Upon graduation, Molly dutifully sought work. She inquired with the headmaster at Hilpog. His reply, so impressed with her role as an intern, “I don’t even need to interview you.” It’s been three years since Molly began her teaching career. She co-teaches a rowdy group of 3 and 4 year olds. Her demeanor is calm despite the mayhem one would expect from a roomful of youngsters. She confesses, “My biggest challenge is when they don’t keep quiet.” She credits her success to believing in herself.
In 2022, Molly’s mother returned to the North. Molly’s two older siblings are both married with children of their own, so the responsibility of her two younger sisters falls upon her. Her salary makes it possible for her sisters to continue their education. “My mom has struggled for us and has done everything for us,” Molly earnestly appreciates. Now, at just 22, it’s Molly’s turn.
Through PHH, Molly was able to receive an education and complete a course in teaching, paving the way for her to build a successful future and that success is now paving the way for her younger sisters.
Molly’s diligence and steadfast belief in herself is the driving force to her ultimate success – a success she is sharing with her younger sisters in hope they too, will have the same opportunities that she has.
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"I think big!" gushes Eric. "I want to be the best designer ever!"
His goals aren’t limited to fashioning clothes, but to every aspect of design. With unbridled ambition, a strong work ethic and passion, this 22 year old is unstoppable.
Thanks to Project Have Hope's scholastic sponsorship program, Eric had the opportunity to pursue a course in fashion and design, and is currently employed by a company that manufactures clothes for government contracts.
Eric’s passion for design was ignited when he was 17 years old. His uniform was too big and ill-fitting. He was determined to fix it. “ ‘Let me try,’ ” he recalls saying to himself as he sat behind a sewing machine for the first time to adjust his uniform. “From that day, I loved tailoring.
Pursuing a course in tailoring would have been an impossibility without the financial support of Project Have Hope. Susan has gained both a skill and a confidence that helps her to navigate the future and the challenges that persist.
Much of Susan’s youth was spent rising before the sun and going to bed long after the moon had risen. Her day would start at 4am, when she would rise to head to the fields to work. She’d return home as the sun was setting and begin the time-consuming task of preparing a meal. Day after day.
At 19, a young mother herself, Susan moved to the Acholi Quarter. There, she labored in the stone quarry, often with her infant baby on her back.
When Project Have Hope began, it was a welcome relief to Susan. She could work from home with her daughter seated nearby and roll paper into beads. “It was simple work, easy work,” Susan carefreely recalls. Not only was the work easy, but she’d earn twice what she earned in the quarry. “It was a very great change for me.”
Susan later enrolled in a tailoring course through Project Have Hope’s support. From the beginning, she was thrilled with the opportunity tailoring presented. “You can expect money any day, any time,” Susan beams. “If I return to the village, I can bring my tailoring machine and work from there and earn a living. I can work anywhere.”
